(Newser)
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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called Monday for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States." The proposed ban would stand "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," his campaign says in a statement. The statement added that Trump's proposal comes in response to the level of hatred among "large segments of the Muslim population" toward Americans. "Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life," Trump says in the statement.

He added on Twitter: "Just put out a very important policy statement on the extraordinary influx of hatred & danger coming into our country. We must be vigilant!" Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski says Trump's proposed ban would apply to "everybody," including Muslims seeking immigration visas as well as tourists seeking to enter the country. He did not respond to questions about whether it would also include Muslims who are US citizens and travel outside of the country, or how a determination of someone's religion might be made by customs and border officials. In response to a request for additional detail, Trump said via a campaign spokeswoman: "Because I am so politically correct, I would never be the one to say. You figure it out!"